Hood spring tool



May l2, 1959 l J. E. BROWN HOOD SPRING TOOL Filed Oct. 19, 1954 James E. 5m wn nvr/ENTOR.

United StatesN Patent HOOD SPRING TOOL James E. Brown, Henderson, N.C.

- Application October 19, 1954, Serial No. 463,164

1 Claim. (Cl. 29-227) This invention relates to hood spring tools and more specifically comprises improvement in a tool for removing the tensioned coil spring customarily employed for holding alligator type hoods in position by counter-balancing the weight of such hoods wherein the spring may be expanded by the tool of the present invention for removal in a most ecient manner without danger to the mechanic.

At the present time, the so-called alligator type of hoods are commonly used on automobiles and these hoods are formed from a single piece of material which forms the complete hood structure. These hoods are hinged at their rear portions to the body and are swingable upf wardly from the front portion to permit access to the motor and other accessories normally found under the hood. The hoods are sufficiently weighty and bulky to present handling difficulties and if left partially open may form a hazard due to the accidental closing of the hood While mechanics perform various operations on the motor. The weight of the hood is counter-balanced by relatively strong springs and it is normally very difficult to mount and dismount the springs with the use of lever type tools or the like.` When using the known type tools, there is dangerl of injury to the mechanic as a result of sudden contraction of the spring or due to slippage of the lever devices. Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a novel hood spring tool for expanding these springs in a most efficient and safe manner wherein the spring may be easily removed from or placed in position between the hood and body thereby eliminating much of the work normally expended in removing these springs and also eliminating the danger to the mechanics from such springs if they accidentally become disengaged from the tools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hood spring tool including expanding means contactable with remote ends of the spring thereby permitting the spring to be expanded and easily removed and replaced.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a hood spring tool that is simple in construction, eiicient in operation, safe and easy to use, well adapted for its intended purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the construction of the hood and hood mounting means together with the hood spring tool of the present invention in position for expanding the spring for removal thereof; and

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing one of the elements slidably mounted on the elongated threaded member of the hood spring tool of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the elongated sleeve screw threadably attached tothe elongated threaded member;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a modified form of spring engaging member for use in conjunction with the hood spring tool of the' present invention; and

Figure 5 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of the hood spring tool of the present invention showing the details of construction thereof.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral 10 generally designates the hood spring tool of the present invention for use in conjunction with an automobile generally indicated by the numeral 12 having an alligator type hood 14 pivotally secured to the vehicle body 12 adjacent the cowl 16 by links 18 and 20 respectively. Secured to a bracket 22 on the body of the vehicle 12 is an elongated tension spring 24 having a hook end 26 on the lower end thereof and a hood end 28 on the upper end thereof for` engagement with the linkage 20 thereby counter-balancing the weight of the hood 14 thereby retaining the hood 14 in any adjusted position thereby permitting persons to have access to various parts of the motor as indicated by the numeral 30 without fear of the hood 14 dropping on them. In the use of the hood spring tool 10 of the present invention, it is necessary to utilize a prop or brace 32 to prop the forward end of the hood 14 in an open position thereby preventing accidental dropping of the hood 14 downwardlyonto persons removing the spring 24. The spring 24 is normally a tension coil spring and is a relatively strong spring thereby making it extremely dangerous to remove the spring 24 by use of the usual prying tools inasmuch as the spring 24 will tend to slip off of these tools and ily in any direction at a very high velocity which will cause bodily injury upon contact therewith.

The hood spring tool of the present invention generally includes an elongated externally threaded member 34 having a polygonal head 36 integrally formed at one end thereof. Threadablyconnected with the outer end of the elongated externally threaded member 34 is an elongated internally threaded tubular sleeve 38 having a lateral projecting arm 40 adjacent the outer end thereof and the arm 40 is provided with an inwardly extending V-shaped notch 42 onthe outer edge thereof for engaging the hook 26 of the spring 24.

Slidably received on the upper end of the elongated threaded member 34 and contacting the under surface of the polygonal head 36 is a tubular sleeve 44 in slidable engagement with the externally threaded member 34. The tubular sleeve 44 is provided with a lateral projection in the nature of an arm 46 having an inwardly extending V-shaped notch 48 in the upper surface thereof. It will be noted that the V-shaped notches 48 and 42 are on the remote edges of the respective plates 40 and 46 for engaging under the hood ends 26 and 28 of the coil spring 24. It is noted in Figures 1-3 that the plate 40 on the outer tubular sleeve 38 is formed substantially flush with the lower end of the tubular sleeve 38 and this particular construction will fit certain type of vehicles normally utilizing the spring 24 for counter-balancing the hood 14.

However, in some types of automobiles, it is necessary to provide a dilerent shape lateral arm for engaging the spring 24 when the lower hook 26 is inaccessible to the form of the arm 40 as shown in Figures 1-3. In order to provide a hood spring tool for this type of automobile, a tubular sleeve generally indicated by the numeral 50 and including a laterally and longitudinally extending plate 52 is provided and the plate 52 is provided with an inwardly extending V-shaped notch 54 in its outer end. It will be noted that the longitudinally extending portion of the plate 52 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the externally threaded member 34 thereby positioning the spring engaging V-shaped notch 54 below the outer end of the externally threaded member 34 there- 3 by permitting springs having inaccessible' loweends'to be removed by utilization of the spring tool of the present invention.

In each case, an internally threaded nut 56 is provided on the. externally threaded memberV 34 in lrotatable bearing engagementv with the lower or-inneredgeof Athe short sleeve 44thereby retaining the shortY s1eeve-441between the headed portion 36 and the nut S6-on the externallythreaded member- 34 andthe nut 56 will permit adjustment between members 34 and sleeve-44.

When the hood spring tool 'ofl the present invention is utilized, the notches in the laterally 'extending plate'are engaged with the ho'okends 26 and ZS-*of the spring l24 and by manipulation of the headed-portion' 36 with a suitable wrenchy or tool, the relative distance between-the V-shaped'fnotches 42 andf48 may-be extended' inasmuch as 'nut 56 will rotate'with member 34' thereby extending the spring 24 Vand permitting the -hood ends-,26V and 28 thereofto be removed from their respective seats.` Whether the spring tool of the present invention is utilizedwith the tubular elongated sleeve 38 as shown in Figures 1-3 or the relatively shorter internally threaded sleeve 50, the operation of the device remains the same and all ofthe objects of the present invention are carried out by each type of tubular sleeve. It will be understood that once the spring 24 has been tensioned by manipulation of the headed end 36 of the externally threaded-member 34, the spring 24 will be securely retained thereon due to the relationship of the notches 42 and 48. Obviously, the device of the present invention mayv be constructed ofany rsuitable `rnaterialand will perform the desired Afunction ina most expeditious and efficient manner.

From 'the foregoing, the constructioni-and 'operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes` will readily occur to those-skilled in the art, it is not desired to-limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described,` and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A tool for removing a tensioned coil `spring extendand spring located 'ina confined area, said tool comprising an elongated rod externally threaded throughout its lengt-h and having an enlarged polygonal head on one end thereof with the lengthof the rod being substantially equal to the distance between the points of attachment to the bracket and linkage, a first sleeve slidably and rotatably disposed on the rod with one end abutting the head, a threaded nut on said rod for abutting engagement with the other end `of the first sleeve for limiting the sliding movement of the first sleeve, a longitudinally extending flat plate projecting radially from the first sleeve, said plate 'including one end edge adjacent the head of the rod disposed perpendicularlyI to the longitudinal axis of the rod, the other end edge of the plate being inclined in relation to the longitudinal axis of the rod thereby forming a pointed plate, said one end edge of the plate including an inwardly extending notch for engagement with one hooked end of a spring, a second sleeve, said second sleeve being internally threaded for free threaded engagement with the rod, a longitudinally extending flat plate projecting radially from the second sleeve, said plate including one end edge remote-from the head of the rod disposed in perpendicular relation to the longitudinal axis of the rod, said one end edge-having an inwardly extending notch therein in opposition to. the notch in the plate on the first sleeve for engagement with the hook ends of a spring for stretching the spring upon rotation of the head and rod in' one direction for removing the spring from engagement with the bracket and linkage, said sleeves and nut being disposed .within the confines of the cross-sectional area of the head with the thickness of the plates being vless than the diameter of the rod.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,050,746 Morgan Jan. 14, 1913 1,135,271 Edwards Apr. 13, 1915 1,330,431 De Graff Feb. 10, 1920 1,817,628v Kessleret al. Aug. 4, 1931 2,507,622 Brugmann May 16, 1950 2,617,180 Wilkerson Nov. 11, 1952 2,779,087 Shahan Jan. 27, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,090 GreatBn'tain Nov. 7, 1907 

